


Perfect Harmony

by trekwars777



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Brendol is a classical pianist, Folk Singer!Han, Jazz Musician!Hux, M/M, Rock star!Kylo, Singer!Phasma, han and leia were inspired by johnny and june cash, snoke is a manipulative jerk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28510944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trekwars777/pseuds/trekwars777
Summary: (Written for the Kylux AU zine, beta'd by Mesmeret)When Ben Solo changed his name to Kylo Ren and started the Knights of Ren, it may have been to distance himself from the fact that he was the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, founding members of that 1970 something folk group The Skywalker Singers. In his defense, Han did teach him how to play guitar, but he wanted to do more than sing Kumbaya. Armitage Hux was in a similar position- he too was from a musical background. However, his father was Brendol Hux, a concert pianist who claims he was the organist at two royal weddings. Yet Armitage didn’t feel like he wanted to go into classical music, his heart was set on jazz. So unbeknownst to Brendol, what he thought would be the beginning of his son’s career as a classical flautist snowballed into Armitage Hux becoming one of the best young saxophonists ever discovered. Fate works in mysterious ways, and these two very different people would soon find themselves brought together by the strangest circumstance- they just didn’t know it yet.
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Phasma, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Phasma & Kylo Ren
Kudos: 11





	Perfect Harmony

**Author's Note:**

> Very special thanks to Mesmeret for betaing and providing feedback for this fic.

Kylo Ren waited nervously in the lobby of his boss’ office. He had seen the album reviews on the Internet-  _ The Last Jedi  _ was called “the potential to be art but felt rushed and incomplete” (the kindest review his album was given, courtesy of the  _ Parnassos Beacon _ ), a “ball of confusion and noise” (a fairly neutral take by the  _ Coruscant Courier _ ), and, well… “a dumpster fire” (this scathing review came from  _ Galactic,  _ the most revered music magazine in the industry). And while Kylo had to agree with the words of the critics, he still felt a bit annoyed by it all, especially the fact that Snoke was inevitably going to chew him out for the album’s performance. In fact, Kylo's original vision was ruined by Snoke, but that was another story. Just then, the door opened and Snoke’s secretary Unamo emerged from the doorframe. Upon seeing her, Kylo felt like he was a child at the doctor’s office, the nurse had to come to remind him that he was going to get a shot. 

“Ren? He’s waiting for you,” she intoned, as he stood up and followed behind her. To Kylo, time seemed to slow down as they walked to Snoke’s office. 

“Enter,” his boss’ voice intoned from behind the dark mahogany doors. Both Unamo and Ren felt a chill go up their spines, as one of Snoke’s attendants opened the door. He walked towards the desk flanked by two more crimson wearing attendants, the tall man’s sunken eyes practically boring holes into Kylo’s brain. 

“Yes, boss?” Kylo managed to ask, his eyes meeting Snoke’s judgmental gaze. It seemed like an eternity until he finally spoke.

“You have failed, Ren,” Snoke intoned. Kylo was incredulous- what did Snoke mean by that? Snoke was the one that butchered what should have been  _ The Last Jedi.  _ Kylo’s original vision for the album was a mix of psychedelic rock and heavy metal, and it was to tell a story about a mythical knight known as “The Last Jedi.” But with Snoke’s edits, the sweeping epic was, regrettably, turned into just another garden variety punk/emo mash-up album. And Snoke had the audacity to tell him that he failed? Oh, Snoke was going to get a piece of his mind! 

“What do you mean I failed? You’re the one that took a weed whacker to my work and turned it into the type of music every other punk band plays!” he argued. 

“You’ve gone in another direction that’s practically impossible! If you played it safe like I told you to then we would be fine! This Last Jedi nonsense you proposed is ridiculous!” Snoke roared. 

“Play it safe?! Playing it safe is for corporate cogs!” he argued. 

“Did I mention your contract is at stake?” 

“Well, what do you propose I do now?” Ren snapped, crossing his arms in frustration. 

“Use your imagination,” Snoke replied, pointing him out the door while turning around. “Or speak to Phasma, since apparently she’s the only one willing to hold your hand,” he added, glaring at one of the golden records on the wall. Above it was a picture of a woman sitting in a mock-up of a burlesque diva’s boudoir, holding a feathery fan as she gave the camera a sultry yet intimidating stare. Ren looked at the same picture and then an idea began to form in his mind. 

“You know, maybe I will. That’s the best piece of advice you’ve given to me that won’t make me a sellout,” he shot back, storming out of the office in anger. Who needed Snoke and his control-freak nature? Kylo could do these things on his own. He decided right then and there that he would speak to Phasma, and they would create a real album worth listening to. 

Still reeling from the tongue lashing Snoke subjected him to, Ren drove in the rain to the home of Miss Audrey Phasma. A six-foot-three bombshell with a smoky and entrancing voice, Audrey was destined to become a star after Snoke discovered her singing in a fairly mediocre vocal jazz ensemble. So after some burlesque dance lessons; a wardrobe of Giles Deacon, Vivienne Westwood, and other glamorous designers; and pure, unfiltered singing, she became the jazz chanteuse everyone loved and envied. Among the first people who signed with Starkiller Records, Phasma was wise enough to leave when Snoke realized he could churn more money out of her by having her do the same thing over and over again. Despite the risk, her departure was a success, and she was practically swimming in money. 

Ren rang the doorbell, listening to the sound of footsteps grow louder while he waited for Audrey to open the door. She stood in front of him, a cocktail in one hand and the other positioned on her hip. A playful smirk danced across her face studying Ren standing on her porch. 

“Well, look who showed up,” she said in that trademark purr that made people fall for her, welcoming him into her house. It was a gorgeous home, with dramatic portrait windows, Art Deco furniture, and a cloud of a cat napping on the bench of a Steinway. 

“Good to see you, Phas,” he said, hugging her gently as she set her drink on the piano. “I-I wanna talk about something.” 

“Snoke still has you by the balls, I suppose?” she asked, making her way over to the bar by the living room and fixing him a drink. 

“You have no idea,” Ren scoffed, taking the gin and tonic she made him. While he took a seat, her cat got up from the bench and trotted over to Ren, purring like a lawnmower. 

“What did Snoke say?” she asked. 

“Well, it’s a bit of a long story. So you know how I had that album  _ The Last Jedi,  _ right?” he said. Phasma winced when he mentioned it. 

“It was supposed to have potential, I thought,” she asked. Kylo nodded in agreement, thinking about what could have been. 

“Yep. It was supposed to be this experimental thing mixing psychedelia and samples from symphonic music to tell a story, but Snoke ended up making it into a whole different thing. It doesn’t even sound like what I hoped for. I told him that, and of course he freaked out about it. His advice to me? Well, he kinda implied that I go see you, since you’re the only one willing to, quote-unquote, hold my hand,” Kylo said sheepishly. 

“I see,” she replied, thinking about Ren’s words.

“Do you honestly feel like you’re holding my hand or treating me like a kid?” he asked. Phasma had to mill it over for a minute, but then she shook her head. 

“I wouldn’t say so, but you do ask me for advice and take what I tell you into account,” she mused. “So no, I don’t think you’re overly dependent on me like he insinuated you were. But hey, we’ve been with Starkiller since the beginning.” 

“You were the only one smart enough to leave before he could make you churn out the same thing ad nauseam,” Kylo rebutted, which made Phasma chuckle lightly. All of a sudden, an idea popped into her mind- one that would be perfect for Kylo. 

“You want to know what I think could work so that Snoke can leave you alone?” she said. “Try doing a crossover with another genre.” She looked over to the piano in her living room and the stack of records that was placed on it. “Hmmm… I think you could try jazz.” Kylo raised his eyebrow and scoffed at Phasma. 

“Why jazz? Are you saying I’m good enough for elevators or hotel lobbies?” Kylo asked, sounding frankly surprised. Phasma beckoned for Kylo to follow her into a separate room, where a computer waited on top of a desk. Phasma turned on the computer and waited for it to boot up, speaking to Ren while the screen came to life.

“Yes, they do play jazz in hotel lobbies, but that’s the whole smooth jazz stuff or boring piano covers of standards. Real jazz, my dear, is about improvising. Fortunately, I know someone you can work with, and he’s in town for the Arkanis Jazz Festival. And we’ll be performing tomorrow,” she said, taking a seat at the computer and typing into the search bar. 

“Do I have to go?” Kylo wondered, realizing how juvenile he probably sounded at the moment. 

“If you want to do what I’m proposing, you kind of don’t have a choice,” Phasma said. “Just listen,” she said, hitting play on a video of her performance from last year’s festival. She stood in front of a microphone stand, wearing a ruby red dress. A small jazz quartet accompanied her- drums, bass, piano, and saxophone. Kylo’s eyes were on the sax player- that pinstriped suit made him look good, alright, but he was watching the passion he threw into his music. Phasma was singing some soft “ooohs” that made Kylo think of the soft call of a dove while the sax played a solo. Kylo was about to ask a question, when Audrey finally began to sing. In the video, the crowd was silent- no one made any noise, no one sang along… they were transfixed by the gorgeous voice. Kylo was finding himself transfixed by her singing, too- he completely forgot about his question.

“A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square…” Phasma purred into the microphone, and Kylo felt like everything in the world had stopped just to hear the nightingale’s song. As soon as the last words were sung, thunderous applause echoed throughout the concert hall as people leapt to their feet and cheered. Audrey treated the audience to a smile and a bow, and the song was finished. 

“Wow.” That was all Kylo could say at the moment- wow. 

“What did you think?” she asked, and suddenly Kylo felt he was unworthy to be in the presence of a siren.

“That was… amazing,” he replied, which made her smile at him in return. “You sounded so seductive,” he added, and that made her laugh. “But wouldn’t rock and jazz sound weird combined together?” 

“Forgive me for being cliche, but you’ll never know until you try,” she told him, as the next song began.

“So you’re implying that I should have you sing on my next album?” he said. Audrey let out another soft laugh and shook her head. 

“I would be honored to, but it also depends on the songs you’re picking, but I think you’d really want to have him instead,” she replied, pointing at the saxophone player in the video. “He’s Armitage Hux, and he’ll be playing with me at the festival, so we can arrange a meeting.” Kylo felt his heart stop- he was eyeing him since the video started. Yes, he was a good musician, but he was handsome also. What if he looked like a fool when they met? He wasn’t sure he could handle it. 

“You mean it?” Kylo asked, his voice becoming a nervous squeak. 

“Yes. Don’t worry, he’s a really great guy,” she said, and Kylo instantly felt at ease. “I find that you two might get along pretty well.” Something in the way she spoke to him made Kylo feel like his confidence was going through the roof. Right then and there, he decided to take that chance, Snoke’s controlling nature be damned. It was worth a shot, anyway.

“Thanks for the help, Phas, and I can’t wait to see you then!” he said, giving her another hug and walking out the door. She waved goodbye to him and watched as the car peeled out of the driveway. All throughout the drive home, Kylo began to think about the collaboration, the potential album, and meeting Armitage Hux. It seemed very exciting, but also rather nerve-wracking to him. From what he had seen, Armitage looked like a very proper person who probably would turn his nose down on rock musicians like him. Sure, he was probably jumping to conclusions about some guy he never met, but the anxiety was real. He pulled into the driveway of his family home and walked through the door, greeted by the sound of happy dog barks. His friendly pitbull, Cujo, ran up to Kylo, smiling happily because his human friend came home. 

“Hey kid, you’re back!” a voice called out from the kitchen. Han Solo, the legendary folk singer and guitarist, emerged to greet his son. In his arms rested Chewbacca, Han’s giant brown Maine Coon cat that Kylo seemed to think would never stop shedding.

“Nice to see you, Dad. Hey, Chewie,” Kylo said, scratching the Maine Coon behind the ears. 

“Myeah,” Chewie replied, nuzzling into Kylo’s hand before starting a purr.

“How’s everything in your neck of the woods?” he asked, settling down on the couch. 

“Well,” Kylo sighed now, “you know how I hoped for  _ The Last Jedi  _ to be an experimental album? Well, Snoke decided to butcher it and turn it into something completely boring that I, and the public, didn’t ask for. It was just your regular old run of the mill punk/emo album.” Han nodded, which made Kylo seem like his dad could care less. “You see, I was kind of hoping for it to be my own thing, you know? It’s more like if I wrote my name and Snoke slapped his own over it,” he added, with a wistful sigh. Han’s attention was piqued now- he had heard about producers meddling in stuff, but not at a level like this! 

“What did you do then?” he wondered. 

“Well, when it turned out that the album flopped, Snoke got mad at me and insisted that it was my fault. He’s one to talk, honestly,” he snarked, as Cujo flopped at his feet. “So, after Snoke chewed me out, I went to go see Audrey for advice. For my next album, she suggested that I collaborate with that Armitage Hux,” Kylo announced, watching Chewie migrate from the floor to the couch, finally parking himself on Han’s lap. Han began petting Chewie, enjoying the feel of the soft fur on his guitar-calloused hands as well as the deep and sonorous purrs of comfort. 

“Wait a second- Brendol Hux’s kid? The tall and pasty one that looks like David Bowie?” 

“Yep, he’s a jazz musician.” Han was surprised- he had heard of Brendol Hux before, but only in the context of hearing his piano recordings on classical music playlists. But his son playing jazz was a shock to him. 

“Huh, you’d think Brendol would’ve forced him to play classical piano like him,” he mused. “Well, what do you have planned for your collaboration thing, anyway?” Suddenly, Kylo felt like he was stuck in a rut. He had dreamed this idea up with Audrey, but they hadn’t come up with anything concrete after all. He then looked at his father’s guitar resting on its stand, and a picture that rested on the mantle. In it, a younger Han was standing at a microphone and strumming his guitar. Leia was next to him with an autoharp, which made Kylo think of Johnny Cash and June Carter. And then, an idea came to him. 

“Dad- I’ve got it,” he said in a trance-like way. “I know it’s not up my alley, and it might not work, but we can do some sort of roots/blues album.” Han had perked up a bit, interested in his son’s idea. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, I can do something like, I don’t know, “Frankie and Johnny” and some other covers, and maybe throw in some originals.” But then came the kicker question, the one that intimidated him the most. “Dad… will you and mom join me on the album? I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He knew that Han and Leia had retired from touring and recording to raise him, so he didn’t want to seem presumptuous or like he was forcing Han to do it. 

“Sure thing,” Han said. “But you’ll need to ask your mother if she wants to contribute.”

“I get that,” he said, and went upstairs to look for his mother. As if on cue, he could hear Leia singing over the din of an open sink faucet. Right now, she was belting out “Tears Will Be the Chaser For Your Wine” while the water ran, and her therapy dog, Gary, was “singing along” with her. He waited outside her door, listening to her singing and Gary’s barking, before she finally emerged from the room. 

“Ben, what are you doing here?” she asked, patting at her face with a towel. Kylo winced on hearing his birth name- but hey, at least Ben was a better name than those funky names that ex-hippies would bestow on their unsuspecting children. (Some people wouldn’t mind being saddled with names like Dweezil or Moon Unit, but that’s another story.)

“Mom, I have a quick question- I’m doing some sort of folk/roots album with Armitage Hux and Audrey Phasma,” he said. Leia let out an impressed “hmm” and put the towel away. 

“Brendol Hux’s kid?” she asked. Kylo scoffed- he was asked that question twice that day, so if Gary suddenly learned how to talk and asked him that, then he’d be going for the world record.

“Yep,” Kylo replied, giving Gary a scratch behind the ears. “So, do you think you’ll join us by singing on the album, and maybe throwing in some autoharp?” Leia milled it over for a bit, but to Kylo, it seemed like a long time. Then finally, she answered him. 

“Sure thing. But when we go into the studio, don’t insult your father and me, okay?” she asked with a smirk. 

“Okay,” Kylo said, as a delicious smell floated through the house. “Dad made pot roast!” he realized, sprinting down the stairs to enjoy his dinner with his family. As soon as they were finished, father and son got out their guitars and began thinking about the potential album that Kylo was going to create whether Snoke liked it or not. And although very few could hear it, the night began to be filled with the beautiful music of two guitars and three voices singing in harmony. 

Kylo was roused from his sleep by the sound of his phone vibrating. He looked at his screen and found a text from Phasma waiting for him. 

[txt]: today’s the day! My concert’s at four at the Exegol Cabaret, and I got you a backstage pass for the end. 

He smiled at his phone and unlocked it, texting his reply. 

{text to Audrey} Can’t wait! 

Kylo checked the time on his phone- it was 8:15, so he had time to have breakfast, take a shower, and prepare himself for the concert. Now, he had never heard of the Exegol Cabaret until now, so he made sure to do his research while he had his breakfast. It seemed to him that during the evenings, it would be dressy, but during the day, it was a fairly casual place for things like comedy shows or informal concerts. But not only was he going to watch his best friend perform, he was also going to meet someone who he assumed would be pretty high class- so he figured that dressing up nice would be a given. He dug through his closet and happened upon a suit that was in pretty good shape, making sure to add his own flair to it. Once he gave himself a once-over in the mirror, he made his way downstairs and to his car. So far, the only ones who were seeing him off were Cujo, Chewbacca, and Gary- Han was in the backyard working on a vegetable garden, and Leia was at the grocery store. 

“I’m gonna be gone for a while, Dad. I’m going to the Arkanis Jazz Festival,” Kylo called out to his father, who looked back and gave him a joking salute. 

“Sure thing, kid, and be safe,” Han replied, as Cujo waddled up to Han and flopped beside him. Before he started the car, Kylo went to his phone and looked up “Armitage Hux” on Spotify. Quite a few albums popped up in the search results- but the one that caught his eye was his debut album,  _ The New Guy.  _ On the cover, Armitage stood by a busy street with his saxophone, giving the listener a look of determination. He was silently praying that his music wasn’t going to be something like lukewarm pop covers or any of that boring Kenny G stuff jazz was associated with. To say he was nervous was an understatement- he was intimidated to meet Armitage Hux. He had no idea what Armitage was like- obviously, he knew not to prejudge people, but he was praying harder that he wasn’t going to be a pretentious jerk. As he drove, he was mentally preparing himself for the meeting for someone who might as well be changing his life; or at least his career’s direction. If the meeting and collaboration went well, then he would be lucky. If not… well, he wasn’t going to preoccupy himself with that. He needed to move on otherwise he’d be late. So, he started up the car and fired up Spotify. 

Kylo had listened to other jazz artists before, but to him, it seemed that they tended to fall on different sides of a spectrum: on one hand, there was the slow, genteel music that bored him and many to tears. And on the other hand was that sort of weird stuff that sounded more like, well, a car crash than music or background music for some pretentious performance art piece. (He was one to talk, what with trying to be experimental and making his latest album the equivalent of a car crash.) But listening to Armitage’s album was, believe it or not, a joy. Sometimes it was just Hux with a full band. For the much more mellow numbers, it was either him with a trio or accompanied by piano. Once the last notes played, Kylo felt like he wanted to listen to it again. Lucky for him, Armitage’s next album was queued up after  _ The New Guy.  _ The next one,  _ Standard,  _ was pretty straightforward- it was jazz standards, so Kylo was expecting an orchestra backing up Hux for some numbers, especially the schmaltzy ones. But again- Armitage proved him wrong! Now he felt like he had gotten access to an exclusive speakeasy and was being treated to the best jazz music he could ever listen to. He was quite surprised when he heard a familiar voice singing “My Heart Belongs to Daddy”. None other than Audrey Phasma, and her vocals were intertwining with Armitage’s tenor sax perfectly. 

Just as soon as he arrived at the festival, he knew what he wanted to do and how the outcome should be. If Armitage said yes, then the album would finally get off the ground and they could work to make it a good one. If not… then, disaster and he’d be at the mercy of Snoke. After parking, he lined up to get into the cabaret. When Kylo walked into the venue, the word that immediately popped into his mind was prestige. The atmosphere was like an exclusive cabaret, with people seated at tables with snazzy cocktails. Suddenly, Kylo felt out of place, like he had no business being among the who’s who. But when he saw Phasma chatting with the bartender before she’d perform, he felt like he was welcome. 

“So glad you could make it!” she said, gently hugging him before handing him the backstage pass that hung from a slender gray lanyard. “I’m already prepared, but we’re gonna start in ten minutes or so. So get comfortable, order some drinks or an appetizer.” She gave him a light kiss on the cheek before walking to a side door that led backstage. People milled about the cabaret, having drinks and talking with people who were eager to listen to Audrey sing. As time passed, that same quartet she had performed with began to set up on stage. The drummer adjusted her kit and made sure she had her necessities with her, the bassist checked their strings, and the pianist was playing some warm-up scales. Finally, a tall and fairly pale young man took the stage, and indeed, he was carrying a saxophone with him- it was none other than Armitage Hux.  _ He’s wearing that pinstriped suit well,  _ Kylo thought as he came on stage with a tenor sax hanging from his neck, before returning with an alto and soprano sax, which he put on stands. Then, at last, the lights dimmed and Phasma took the stage, clad in a slinky black gown. Perching herself on a tall barstool, she smiled at the audience coquettishly. 

“Good afternoon, everyone- forgive me for being cliche, but how have you enjoyed the festival so far?” Cheers and applause rose up from the audience, and Kylo clapped along as well- but mostly out of excitement for the performance. Phasma smiled again, and a hush fell over the room. “But enough idle chatter- sit back and relax, darlings,” she purred, nodding at the pianist. The pianist returned the smile and started to play a slinky piano line, which the band added their own embellishments to. Right before Phasma was to sing, Armitage made his tenor sax sing out and play a bluesy phrase, making Kylo feel like he was going skyward with the high notes and down to earth with the lower ones. Listening to both Audrey sing and Hux’s saxophone would be a bit tough, but he found that they sounded lovely together. Kylo felt like he could get lost in the music forever, and he didn’t mind- as long as Hux was playing for him. During the more melancholy numbers, Hux appeared aloof and stoic, like he was the one who’s heart was broken by the femme fatale. But when the songs picked up, he was passionately controlled . Something about the whole performance both inspired and intimidated Kylo- he felt inspired to give his all when recording, yet intimidated that Hux would reject him and the proposal, or think he wasn’t worth it and laugh in his face. Yet, Kylo’s excitement at the potential collaboration was weighing out the negative feelings. 

“Unfortunately, we’re coming to an end,” Phasma said with a wistful sigh, “but Armitage and I would like to give you all one last send-off until we meet again.” The piano played a dramatic introductory flourish, and Audrey reverently lowered her face towards the microphone.  _ “We’ll meet again/Don’t know where, don’t know when.../But I know we’ll meet again, some sunny day…”  _ she sang. Armitage chimed in with a whispery phrase as Audrey sang the melody. After performing two encores, Kylo was still transfixed by the concert and didn’t notice the crowd of patrons that were filing out of the cabaret. He didn’t even notice that Audrey had tapped him on the shoulder. 

“Oh, I didn’t notice you there,” he managed to say. Audrey offered him a small smile and led him to the back of the stage, where the rest of the band was resting after their performance. Kylo could recognize the band members, offering them small waves and nods before focusing on one of the couches where Hux was taking his saxophone apart. 

“Armitage? There’s someone who would like to meet you,” Phasma said, nodding over to Kylo. Hux looked up from the couch at Phasma and then at Kylo. He studied him up and down, and then he realized who he was speaking with. 

“Aren’t you Kylo Ren?” he asked, sounding a bit accusatory. Kylo was quite surprised when Hux told him that- was it a bad thing that he was there? So much for Phasma’s assurance that he was a great guy, because it sure seemed like Hux wasn’t happy to see him there. 

“Ummm… yes?” Kylo replied awkwardly. “And yeah, I am related to Leia Organa and Han Solo,” he added, in hopes that it would impress Armitage. Now his attention seemed to be piqued as his gaze became a bit friendlier. 

“Fascinating. Did your parents make you go into music or did you do it willingly?” he asked, getting up from the couch and getting a case. Kylo shook his head slightly. 

“Not exactly, I chose to do it on my own. But my dad did show me how to play guitar when I was younger. When I told them I wanted to be a musician, they gave me their blessing to try it. I did some open mic stuff for a while, and then this Snoke guy from Starkiller Records came to me and I signed. Long story short, that’s how Kylo and the Knights of Ren were born,” he said, realizing he was probably rambling. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry I rambled! What about you?” he asked. Armitage smiled lightly and began to open the case. 

“I guess I always liked music, too. When I was younger, I would go to the piano and sometimes just mess around on it. Then my father started to give me lessons, and it sort of snowballed from there. Because when you’re the son of a famous musician, people will come swarming to you like locusts. The piano was mastered, and luckily he let me pick another instrument to learn. Flute came first, then clarinet and saxophone followed- I liked playing them, but I really fell in love with the saxophone. I remember turning eighteen and the Arkanis Jazz Festival Big Band wanted me for the lead alto without auditioning. I took it and played with them for a while before I handed the reins to Doph Mitaka for that position.” To Kylo, it seemed like Hux just wanted to talk about his accomplishments, which annoyed him a bit. “So… what were you going to ask me?” Hux said, wondering aloud as he finished putting away his saxophone.

“Well, Snoke’s expecting me to make a better album than the last one I made,” he explained, wincing, “and I went over it with Audrey and my dad, and we were thinking about making it some sort of rock and jazz crossover.” Armitage was intrigued now. “Really?” 

Kylo nodded and showed Armitage the potential tracklist for the album he and his dad had come up with. Armitage was quite impressed with what Kylo had chosen and smiled at him. 

“Kylo, you’ve certainly piqued my interests, and I’d be honored to work on your album with you,” he said, shaking his hand. “Now, why don’t we go to dinner, all of us?” 

“You’ve read my mind!” Audrey said with a smile, and they left the Exegol Cabaret for a swanky restaurant. All the while, Kylo couldn’t help but notice how charming Armitage was with the people there, but especially how he charmed him.

“So, when will we start meeting to record this album?” Hux asked Kylo, once they finished their dinner. 

“Hmm… I’m gonna say Friday of next week. Does it seem too rushed?” Kylo replied, looking towards both of them. Phasma milled it over and nodded. 

“I think it sounds pretty good, what about you Hux?” she said. 

“It sounds pretty reasonable, I think. Just make sure to let me know when we start recording,” Armitage told him, stifling a yawn. “Well, it’s getting fairly late, and I have another concert tomorrow for the festival. Audrey, the evening was lovely, and Kylo, here’s my number. Call me any time,” he said, gesturing for Kylo’s phone. Armitage punched in his digits and handed the phone back to Kylo. 

“Sure thing, hope to see you all Friday,” he told them, waving them goodbye as they went their separate ways. On the way home, Kylo turned up the volume on Armitage’s next album and let himself just enjoy the beautiful jazz music. When he arrived at his house, he was tired yet happy, still humming one of the songs as he prepared himself for bed.

Just as soon as he was about to fall asleep, his cell phone vibrated. He checked the lock screen and to his surprise- it was a text message from Armitage. 

[txt] I had a lovely evening with you. Maybe we should go out sometime? 

Kylo felt his pulse begin to rush in excitement, yet the thought of going on a date with someone he met but a few hours ago was a bit nerve-wracking to him. A bit nerve-wracking?! No- it was EXTREMELY nerve-wracking! He looked down at the keypad, and feeling a goofy grin spread on his face, typed his reply. 

{txt to Armitage} I’d love to. 

Kylo set his phone aside with a smile and then fell asleep, dreaming of a perfect date with Armitage Hux. He couldn’t wait until Friday, where he would hopefully surprise Armitage with a nice lunch date. 

Instead, they met with each other sooner than they imagined. It started out as a simple coffee date on Monday, where they found out more about Kylo’s project. On Tuesday, Hux was invited to dinner at Kylo’s house, where he got to meet Han and Leia and enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal. (Han was excited to collaborate with Armitage on the album and he didn’t say much about Brendol.) Wednesday and Thursday were Armitage’s turn to treat Kylo, with Armitage giving him a private serenade on Wednesday and a picnic in the park on Thursday. Then when Friday finally came, Kylo and Han made their way to the recording studio, eager to record their masterpiece. 

“Oh, Leia’s going to meet us later on, she’s got an appointment,” Han explained as Kylo opened the door to the recording studio. Armitage was preparing his saxophone and going over some sheet music while Audrey was taking a sip from some tea with lemon. The band members were getting ready for the session as well. They were pretty much a standard backing group for a rock musician: rhythm guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums. Han looked over at Armitage and extended his hand. 

“Hey, Armitage- ready to start recording?” Han asked. Hux nodded and shook his hand. 

“Yes, and it’s good to see you again, Han. Before you ask, the only time I do schmaltz is if they need me to play some fancy gala. And just so you know, I despise smooth jazz. It’s too, how should I put it? Manufactured,” he said. Han chuckled lightly and smiled in response.

“I know what you mean,” Kylo replied, thinking about the drastic changes Snoke decided to make to The Last Jedi. Hux then turned to the band and sized them up, before speaking a mile a minute to them. But for all they knew, Hux was speaking in a completely different language. 

“You mean the music they play at Italian restaurants?” one of the band members questioned, and everyone stared at him. 

“Yes- er, no,” Armitage replied, setting up his horn. “Do any of you know what I’m talking about? Charlie Parker? Duke Ellington? Miles Davis? No?” It was like speaking to a brick wall. 

“Uh… we don’t listen to a lot of jazz at Starkiller Records,” Kylo explained. “But… I have been wanting to experiment with different types of music.” Armitage visibly winced and sighed. 

“Why is your dad here? And who’s the girl?” one of the members asked Kylo, watching Han tune up an acoustic guitar that looked like it had seen better days, as well as Audrey sing the lyrics to a song under her breath. 

“I wanted him to play with me on one of the tracks,” he explained. “Once we start, you’ll get it. And the girl’s Audrey Phasma,” he said, watching Han tune his guitar. Audrey gave a friendly wave and stepped towards the recording booth. Han watched as recording techs milled about the studio and sighed softly.

“You know,” he said wistfully, “it kinda feels like the old days. I know Leia’s gonna be here soon, but this makes me miss Luke and Lando.” Pretty soon, a dog barked, and the door flew open. Leia Organa has arrived, along with her dog Gary. Kylo was glad to see his mom, but Audrey was starstruck!

“You’re Leia Organa?” Audrey said eagerly. Kylo could’ve sworn that if this was a cartoon, Audrey’s eyes would have been filled with a galaxy of stars. Leia offered her one of her trademark smirks, switching Gary’s leash from one hand to the other to extend it to Audrey. 

“The one and only, sugar,” Leia replied, as they shook their hands. Audrey let out a small “ooh” of excitement and she felt like the planets had aligned for her. “Now, let’s get this show on the road!” Everyone agreed with Leia and got ready to play. 

“Alright, let’s start the album off with Frankie and Johnny,” the recording engineer said. It started with a heavy blues guitar riff from Kylo, before Han came in on his acoustic guitar, playing a steady phrase. Both of them stepped forward to the microphone, and began to sing. Just then, the band kicked into gear, and Armitage made his sax growl aggressively. Though he had seen it live before, Kylo was still impressed by how talented Hux was with the saxophone. He could play more than just the languid, haunting tones on his instrument. Not only could his horn purr like a content housecat, but it could roar like a lion and even shriek like a banshee! Hux finished his bit just as Han and Kylo began to sing.

_ “Frankie and Johnny were lovers/My oh my, oh how they loved…”  _ In the background, Armitage played a bluesy phrase on his sax. While the music played, Audrey and Leia conversed with each other. But they were so focused on their conversation that no one noticed Snoke barge through the door! 

“What is going on here?!” Snoke yelled as he barged in, and instantly, the music stopped. The atmosphere became instantly tense, and no one said a word. “What is the meaning of this?” 

“We are recording an album,” Hux replied, putting a hand on Kylo defensively. Kylo began to blush, looking like a freshly scrubbed beet. 

“Exactly- and we’re choosing to be experimental, since to you, the thought of it would be frightening,” Kylo retorted with a raised eyebrow. Snoke began to fume at the reply. 

“Did I authorize it? I think not,” Snoke roared. “You make one more move, and you’ll be in trouble.” Kylo finally took a step forward and looked Snoke straight in the eye. 

“Listen here- you suggested I go and speak to Phasma, so I took her advice. And you know what she told me? She said to try something new. And guess what? It works wonders instead of butchering my original vision!” Such a reaction was a shocker to Snoke- how dare one of his artists speak to him that way?! 

“One more word out of you, Ren, and you’ll be fired!” Snoke threatened. 

“So what if I want to be fired? I’m tired of you stifling me and what I want to do. I thought I was supposed to be a musician, not a robot or a soldier!” 

"Hear, hear!" the bassist cheered, raising his fist. 

“I concur!” Hux interjected, giving Kylo a smile. 

“He’s right, you know,” Han chimed in, setting his guitar aside and looking Snoke square in the eye. Snoke raised an eyebrow and laughed sarcastically. 

“And what makes you an expert in the music industry, hmm?” he said, smirking at Han. Han returned the smirk.  _ This is gonna be interesting,  _ Kylo thought, as he was about to watch his own father square off against his boss. 

“You’ve heard of the Skywalker Singers, right?” Han said. “It’s this little folk-rock group that went platinum in the seventies. It had me, my wife, Luke Skywalker on mandolin, Lando Calrissian on fiddle..."

“Oh, that group,” Snoke said, laughing. “They were nice for a few ditties, I suppose, but maybe you do have a point.” Han sighed and rolled his eyes, ready to talk seriously with his son’s boss.

“Look, when you’ve been in the industry like I have, you better believe that true artists value actual creativity instead of churning out gold records until kingdom come,” Han said. Snoke went from smirking because he taunted Han to anger. 

“Listen to me- you have no right to walk into my studio and tell me what to do, neither does your incredulous son!” 

“Just try it,” Leia hissed, staring Snoke down. It was as if she was boring lasers into his skull. That was it- the final straw. 

“Kylo Ren, you are fired!” Snoke stammered in anger. 

“You can’t fire me, because I quit!” Kylo shot back. “And you know what, Snoke? You can stifle someone else,” Kylo declared, snapping a guitar pick. “Phasma was smart enough to leave the studio before you could torture her like you’ve done with me. So, Hux, the Knights, and I are going to leave Starkiller and form our own label; just try and stop me,” Kylo hissed, walking out the studio door in a huff with everyone following him. As soon as they walked out the door, Snoke roared more empty threats about being fired, and reputations being destroyed. The elevator ride down was awkwardly silent, until Leia broke the silence. 

“Well, now what?” she wondered aloud. “We can’t just quit and give him the satisfaction.” 

“The album’s still going to happen,” Kylo announced, “with no interference from Snoke this time.” Everyone agreed with him- but there was one minor setback.

“Wait a minute- Snoke’s probably going to call every major record company he knows of and make them refuse us. He’d stoop to that level, he did it with me,” Phasma said. 

“We need an indie label, I think,” Hux said. “Or we could start our own…” And then, another idea blossomed in his mind. “That’s it! We can call it First Order Records! I mean, we have all we need for it, so we can keep going with our own projects! And,” he turned to Kylo with a wink, “you can be experimental without anyone trying to stifle you.” 

“Oh, I love you,” Kylo said, taking Hux by the lapels of his jacket and giving him a passionate kiss. And he meant it, of course- both of them knew that they would make beautiful music together. 

  
  


EPILOGUE 

No one said that starting your own record label was easy, but the fact that First Order Records had well-known names attached to it seemed to assure potential investors. And as it turned out, they weren’t going to be disappointed.  _ Roots _ , Kylo Ren’s first album after breaking away from Starkiller Records, was a massive success and garnered award nomination after award nomination. (There was also speculation that Han Solo was going to make a comeback, but he put those rumors to rest. His farewell performance ended up being a duet of "Frankie and Johnny" with his son and then "Blood Red River Blues" at the Galaxy Music Awards.) 

Not only did Kylo and Hux surprise everyone with the success and sound of their album, but when they won the grand prize at the Galaxy Music Awards, they shocked the audience by sharing a kiss onstage. Some people called it “one of the kisses seen round the world.” But to Kylo and Hux, it was only confirming the blossoming of a beautiful relationship. 


End file.
